Pages

18 January 2015

A Belated Happy Lee-Jackson Day

I would have liked to post something a bit more fitting for the holiday, but a nasty case of the stomach flu intervened. Nonetheless, I thought it fitting on this weekend of celebrating the bravery and sacrifice of two of America's favorite sons and heroes, another tribute was being paid to yet another American hero - Chris Kyle. A timely providence for American Sniper, for sure . . .

Among three-day bows, it’s the best posted by a January or February release, beating Passion of the Christ‘s (which opened on a Wednesday) FSS of $83.8M. It’s the largest January weekend ever, beating Avatar‘s $68.5M during its third session (Jan. 1-3, 2010) and it’s looking to be the largest R-rated four-day ever, beating 2011’s The Hangover 2, which made $103.4M. [Source.]

I've not seen the film, but my son did and he said it was one of the best and most inspirational he's ever seen. Here's one trailer:

Kyle has some background he shares with both Generals Lee and Jackson. Born a Southerner (Texas), he was also a practicing Christian serving as both a Sunday school teacher and a deacon in his church.

Yes, despite the left's best efforts, Americans still love a self-sacrificing American hero - particularly of the military variety; which is why many of us will always honor men like Chris Kyle and men like Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. Jackson.

7 comments:

Great article here Richard...I saw the movie last night with my oldest son. We both thought it was an outstanding movie. I had done some research on Chris Kyle's military services and have the utmost respect for him in that regard. I did not know much about the "Man" Chris Kyle until last night. Your right...true Southern gentleman, anchored by principles that for the most part can only come from a belief in Christ and a unquestionable zeal for the battle between Good vs evil. (I say this after hearing his wife talk about the accuracy obtained in the film) There is no doubt,True American Hero

Having read the book, I went and did some more research of Chris Kyle and his life. The things I found were pretty astounding. If you thought the Jesse Ventura fight was a hell of a yarn, wait until you get a load of some of the other stories Chris Kyle told about himself but left out of his book.

Chris told many people, and some reporters, that just after his return from Iraq in 2009, he was carjacked by two men at a gas station on a remote Texas highway. Chris asked the men if he could reach into his truck to get his keys, and as he did he pulled a pistol from his waistband and shot both men in the chest from under his armpit. The two men were killed instantly. Chris called the police and waited for them while leaning against his truck. The police came, Chris handed them a phone number to call at the Pentagon. The cops called the number, and the people at the Pentagon told the cops that Chris Kyle was a war hero and a Navy SEAL. The police also went inside and watched the gas station surveillance video of the incident. The cops then let Chris go on his way. Chris claimed he got emails from cops all across the country after the incident thanking him for "keeping the streets clean". Great story. Except none of it is true. Not a word. There were no carjackers, no dead bodies, no cops, none of it. He made the whole thing up. His big mistake was then telling the story to his SEAL friend, Marcus Lutrell, author of Lone Survivor, and Marcus put the story in his second book, Service: A Navy SEAL at Work. Now it wasn't just a tall-tale, it was in the public record, and it is demonstrably a lie. The New Yorker magazine and other journalists have investigated the story. They all come to the same conclusion. There were no carjackers. There were no dead bodies. There were no cops. None of it happened. No police departments know anything about it, no coroner ever saw the bodies, no gas station had any surveillance video or ever heard of such a thing and no cops ever responded to the scene and called the Pentagon.

Superdome during Hurricane Katrina

Superdome during Hurricane Katrina

The second story that was told by Chris Kyle was that he and another SEAL were sent by the government to New Orleans in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. Once they got to New Orleans, Chris and another sniper went to the roof of the Superdome, and started shooting looters in the city. Chris Kyle said this to many people, he also said this on tape. Chris claims to have killed thirty looters all on his own. Helluva story. Only problem is…there's not a speck of truth in it. Once again this is a total fabrication, or to put it less delicately, a complete, bold faced lie. Chris Kyle never went to New Orleans after Katrina. He never shot 'looters'. Just like with the carjackers, there are no bodies and no documentary or corroborating evidence it occurred. None. Chris Kyle lied. Again.

Don't take my word for it...Here are two links to in-depth articles about these two stories. (New Yorker- LINK Washington Post - LINK)

Taya Kyle, Chris's wife, fought in court to make sure that both of those stories were kept out of the Jesse Ventura defamation lawsuit because she didn't want her husband to be "labelled a liar". Smart woman. The stories were kept out of the lawsuit, and yet, incredibly, Ventura still proved Kyle was lying about the bar room fight (or non-fight, as it turned out).

These stories are so fantastical that only a true believer could ever think them anything other than fairy tales. So the question becomes, why would Chris Kyle tell such patently absurd stories?

"Thank you for your . . . great support for this project. As always it was a pleasure to work with you on The Rebel Yell. You are a big part of Our Cause." ~ Mr. J.L.D. (Laurie) Woodruff, Executive Director and Editor, The Essential Civil War Curriculum

"Thank you for giving your time and expertise to lead the tour. As I mentioned to the group when we started today, the Civil War Sesquicentennial has been so successful in the Valley thanks to the generous work of people such as you. Today was another sterling example of that." ~ Terry Heder,Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation

"I am always encouraged by your energy and devotion to the many fine features and heritage of American life. Thank you! Your blog shines on like a beacon in the darkness." ~ David Corbett, Battlefield Balladeers

Handpicked as one “of the internet's best blogs and forums for students of Civil War history” by the Civil War Trust.

“Shenandoah Valley native Richard Williams maintains this lively blog with its focus on the Valley and its importance to the Civil War.”